Packaging top



July 30, 1968 R. M. FONTANA E'rAL 3,394,869

PACKAGING TOP Filed Nov. l, 1966 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3.394,869 PACKAGING TOP Robert M. Fontana, Chicago, and Robert P. Hellem,

Medinah, Ill., assignors to National Dairy Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 591,195 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container with a body member and a cover, the cover being divisible into a plurality of sections by a score line on one face and a pair of score lines on the other face.

This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly it relates to containers having divisible covers.

Containers of the type with which the present invention is primarily concerned are generally utilized for retaining a plurality of individual items. Such containers present a problem in that the items maintained therein may be used at intervals over a period of time. Maintaining the unused articles within the container until required is particularly desirable. To permit access into such containers while still leaving a portion of the cover intact, a cover which is removable to serially expose a portion of the contents may be provided. However, with prior art containers of this type, removal of one section of the cover has frequently left an unsightly tear line, and in some cases a predetermined sequence of removal of the sections should be followed.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a container having an improved divisible cover providing access to a selectively limited portion of the contents therein. A further object is to provide an improved cover which is selectively divisible into a plurality of sections. A stillv further object is to provide an improved cover which is selectively divisible into a plurality of sections removable in random sequence. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent through reference to the following description and accompanying drawing which shows an illustrative embodiment of this invention, in which:

FIGURE v1 is a plan view of a c-omponent of a container in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a cover of a container embodying certain features of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the opposite side of the cover illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 5 5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an assembled container embodying certain features of this invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the container illustrated in FIGURE 6 with one section of the cover removed and another section of the cover partially removed.

Briefly, the preferred embodiment of the illustrated container 11 comprises a concave body member 13 and a cover 15 divisible into detachable sections 17a, 17b, and 17c. The cover includes an outer face 19 and an opposite inner face 21. Each of the sections 17a, 17b, and 17c are divisible from one another along first score lines 23a and 23b extending along the outer face 19, and along pairs of score lines 25a and 25b or 25b and 25a extending along the inner face 21. As used herein the term score line means a lineal cut or scarification which penetrates through a portion of the thickness of the covermaterial.

3,394,869 Patented July 30, 1968 More particularly, the body member 13 of the container 11 is preferably formed from a thin resilient sheet of plastic or other material which may be easily formed into the shape illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The body member 13 is concavely shaped thereby providing a cavity 29. The periphery of the sheet is formed to provide upwardly extending outer walls 30 and an outwardly extending flange 31 which is generally in a plane parallel to the bottom wall 32 of the body member 13. So that the items maintained within the container 11 may be properly positioned and separated one from the other, a plurality of upwardly projecting ridges 33 are formed in the bottom wall 32. The illustrated embodiment is designed to provide nine individually partitioned areas.

The cover 15 illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 is preferably constructed of paperboard or other suitable fibrous material, the outer face of which may be covered with advertising or other informative matter. The cover 15 is secured to the body member 13 along the periphery yof the inner face 21 of the cover with a suitable adhesive.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 15 is composed of three sections 17a, 17b, and 17c which are separable from the remainder of the cover 15. A portion of the items contaned within the illustrated container may be removed from the container by removal of any one of the cover sections without disturbing the cover sections retaining the remaining articles. As illustrated in FIG- URE 4, the cover sections 17a, 17b and 17a are, in part, defined upon the outer face 19 by score lines 23a and 2311, which delineate the boundaries between section 17b and adjacent sections 17a and 17c. The cover sections are further defined by peripheral score lines 23c, 23d, and 238, which also provide a margin 24 along three sides of the cover 15. The cover sections are further defined by score lines 23, 23g, 23h and 231', which also define the tab members 27a, 27b, and 270, which serve to facilitate removal of the individual sections 17a, 17b and 17c. The tab members are of sufiicient width so as to be easily grasped between the fingers of a hand. The tab members 27a, 27b and 27a are further defined by fold-lines 28a, 2811 and 28a respectively. The fold-lines are embossed into the cover 15 forming ridges upon the outer face 19 and serve to facilitate grasping of the tab members as will hereinafter be described.

As particularly illustrated in FIGURE 3, each cover section 17a, 17b, and 17c is defined upon the inner face 21 of the cover 15 by score lines 25a, 25b, and 25c respectively, which enclose an area which is somewhat smaller than the area enclosed by the score lines upon the outer face 19 of the cover 15. As is more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 5, and with particular reference t-o section 17c, score line 23a on the outer face is disposed between a pair of score lines 25b and 25a on the inner face with score lines 25b and 250 being substantially parallel to each other and to score line 23a. Section 17c of the cover is thus separable from section 17b along score line 23a and 23a upon the outer face 19 and along either score line 23c or score line 25b on the inner face. This structure is an important feature of the present invention in that it permits the cover sections 17a, 17b, and 17c to be readily removed in any sequence but which nevertheless results in a clean line of separation.

In this connection and with reference to FIGURE 5, if cover section 17b is removed first, it separates from cover section 17c by tearing between score line 23a and score line 25b, leaving a "clean line. If cover section 17c is removed first, it separates from cover section 17b by tearing between score line 23a and 25a, again leaving a clean" line.

Removal of the cover sections is illustrated in FIG- URE 7. The tab member 27a is grasped between the 3 thumb and forefinger of the hand and pulled upwardly. This upward movement causes the fibrous cover material about the tab to separate under tension between the fibers of the material along a plane generally parallel to the surface of the cover. After detachment, the tab member folds back along its respective fold-line thereby permitting it to be more readily grasped. The tab member is then pulled upwardly and backwardly causing the fibrous cover material to separate along a plane generally parallel to the surface of the cover. Thus, the cover material is caused to separate along its weakest axis. In the illustrated embodiment, removal of one of the Sections will expose one-third of the contents of the container. FIGURE 7 illustrates a container in accordance with this invention in which one section 17c is completely removed and another section 17a partially removed.

In a particular container constructed in accordance with the present invention, the cover comprises paperboard having a thickness of .018 inch. The cover was about 778 inches square. Each score line penetrated about half the thickness of the paperboard, and the score lines on the inner and outer faces Were offset from each other by about 1A; inch. The container was utilized to package nine ice cream novelty items.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising a body member and a cover, said cover being divisible into a plurality of sections by a first score line extending along one face thereof and by a pair of substantially parallel score lines extending along the other face, each of said pair of score lines being positioned adjacent to and on opposite sides of said first score line so that when one of said Sections is removed said cover will separate between said first score line and one of said pair of score lines to permit limited access to the interior of said container, said body member being provided with a plurality of compartments with said cover being divisible into a plurality of Sections aligned with said compartments.

2. A container comprising a body member and a cover, said cover being divisible into a plurality of Sections by a first score line extending along an outer face thereof, and a pair of score lines upon the inner face of said cover, each of said pair of score lines positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to said first lscore line and upon opposite sides thereof, said first score line together with additional score lines defining a first area upon said outer face, each of said pair of score lines together with additional score lines defining an area upon said inner face which is smaller in area than said first area, so that when one of said sections is removed said cover material Will separate between said first score line and one of said pair of score lines to permit limited access to the interior of said container.

3. A container in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first score line together With additional score lines defining a border about each of said Sections in relation to said cover and defining a tab member integral with each of said Sections and said pair of score lines upon the inner face of said cover, each -of said pair of score lines together with additional score lines defining a border about each of said Sections in relation to said cover and defining a tab member integral with each of said Sections.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3 wherein said cover is provided with an embossed told-line further defining said tab member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,608,341 8/1952 Eckman 229-51 2,955,736 10/ 1960 Annen 229- 51 X 3,185,578 5/1965 Scharre 229-51 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,152,024 8/1957 France.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Exa/niner. 

